Justin Bieber cardboard cutout wows Yellowknife

Justin Bieber has never performed in Yellowknife before, but the northern city has a case of "Bieber Fever" thanks to a cardboard facsimile of the pop star at a local drugstore.

The two-metre-tall Bieber cutout stands by the cosmetic counter at the Shoppers Drug Mart in downtown Yellowknife, as part of a store promotion.

Staff told CBC News that in the past six weeks they have received 20 inquiries a day from people who want to take the cardboard Bieber home after the promotion is over.

One of those inquiries came from Diane Zoe, whose daughter Natasha fell in love with the Bieber facsimile at first sight.

"When we first came in, she's like, 'Mom, I want to get that!' And I was like, 'What, the cardboard?'" Zoe recalled.

"A few days later, I think, I came in and asked if I could buy one or [if they] could say whether we could have it later on."

Prompts double-takes, photos

Regardless of whether they are fans of Bieber or not, customers entering the Yellowknife drugstore have done double-takes upon spotting Bieber's cardboard doppelganger.

"I've actually got a couple of cellphone pictures with the 'Biebs' already," said Devin Boyd of Yellowknife.

When asked if he has requested the cardboard cutout, Boyd replied, "No, although I have planned on trying to walk away with him a couple times."

A similar Bieber cutout was recently stolen from a Shoppers Drug Mart in Guelph, Ont., according to staff at the Yellowknife store.

As for the Bieber cutout's future in the Northwest Territories capital, no decision has yet been made on what to do with it. Staff said they are considering a number of options, such as a charity draw, raffle or auction.